A NATION CHALLENGED: THE REACTION

A NATION CHALLENGED: THE REACTION; Far From Attacks, a City Finds Peace Shattered

By ROBIN TONER

Published: September 23, 2001

CHARLESTON, W.Va., Sept. 21—
The blow to Americans' sense of security that occurred on Sept. 11 is achingly apparent in a city like this. Tucked in the hills far from the scene of the terrorist attacks, Charleston is nevertheless awash in grief and patriotism, and it is suffering from a bad case of nerves.

Bomb scares emptied three downtown courthouse buildings on Tuesday, one prompted by what the caller said was a supposedly overheard conversation among Muslim students discussing a bomb. All turned out to be false alarms.

The chemical plants that line the valley around this city -- and, many say, add to its anxiety at times like these -- went on heightened alert after the attacks, as did major government buildings. The county sheriff's department is getting a wave of calls to investigate suspicious packages and cars.

Homeland security, the task of the new cabinet-level post created by President Bush this week, is no theoretical concept here.

Last week, a cardiologist of East Indian descent from nearby Huntington was trying to go home on a bus after airports closed, stranding him in Washington. When the bus arrived in Charleston, he found himself surrounded by police officers who ordered him to the ground at gunpoint. They were responding to a panicky report from his fellow passengers about a man apparently of ''Middle Eastern descent'' carrying a black bag and asking about the local airport.

Jerry Riffe, the chief of police, apologized for the episode but said his officers had no choice but to respond.

''The apology was sincere,'' Mr. Riffe said in an interview on Thursday, but he added: ''We sincerely regret what these terrorists have done to this country. And we ask for some understanding.''

Asked about the balance between security and civil liberties, the subject of growing debate in Washington, Mr. Riffe responded, ''You've got to know which way the balance is going to fall, at least for a while.'' But he added, ''This does not give us a license to just rough people up, particularly people of color.''

At a community meeting at the First Presbyterian Church in Charleston on Wednesday night, local psychologists urged people to express their grief and anxiety, but also to get back to their routines. The real objective of the terrorists, said a psychologist, Tom Ellis, ''is to terrorize the population, to create fear and helplessness among the population.'' The best way to counter it, Mr. Ellis said, is ''to cultivate our native optimism.''

The session included an attempt to do just that -- children presenting cards they had made for the New York firefighters and for President Bush. (''Good Luck,'' said the card for Mr. Bush.)

But the anxiety was also palpable in questions from parents: What does it mean that my children are not reacting to the attacks? Are the schools really prepared if they had to shelter students for several days? Everyone ended the evening by joining hands and singing ''Dona Nobis Pacem'' (''Grant Us Peace'').

The Rev. Dean K. Thompson, pastor of the church, said the attacks had taken ''a huge toll'' on people, particularly after the Columbine school shootings in 1999 and the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995.

''People feel that terrorism is not confined to the huge cities, like New York or D.C., that terrorism can happen in anybody's backyard,'' Mr. Thompson said.

West Virginia prides itself on its patriotism. The rate of military services is high; flags are everywhere here; patriotic letters to the editor abound in the local newspapers; and high schools marked the resumption of football with elaborate tributes to national unity. Like much of Appalachia, West Virginia is largely a homogenous state.

Mahmoud Shahbandy, a past president of the Islamic Association of West Virginia, said the Charleston area had 300 to 400 Muslim families, most of them well-established doctors, engineers and other professionals. By and large, the support from religious, political and law enforcement leaders has been strong, Mr. Shahbandy said. An interfaith service at the local mosque last week had overflowing attendance.

''We're trying to reach out to the community, to let them know we are grieving with the rest,'' said Mr. Shahbandy, a native of Iran.

Local officials are trying to assure the public that they are planning for an uncertain future, making preparations for evacuation and improving security.

''It's not our job to be alarmist, but 5,000 dead -- we're not getting a lot of people criticizing us for being alarmist at this point,'' Mr. Riffe, the police chief, said.

Outside, on the steps of City Hall, a local television reporter was doing her stand-up, talking about what a war would mean for Charleston.

Photos: Outside an Islamic center in south Charleston, an unidentified person left this sign. Muslims in the city have taken part in interfaith services.; Jerry Riffe, chief of police in Charleston, W.Va., where the terrorist attacks have left the city jittery and have led to several bombs scares. (Photographs by Dale Ferrell for The New York Times)